Outstanding Geography Student Award
Each year, the Texas A&M University Department of Geography awards our top undergraduate geography student the Outstanding Geography Student Award. This prize recognizes outstanding academic success as well as the student’s pursuit of excellence through their efforts outside of the classroom in high-impact learning experiences and student leadership. This award is given up to three times per year, for each spring, summer and fall graduation, and is open to current undergraduate geography majors graduating in that term.
More Outstanding Geography Student Award Information
Outstanding GIST Student Award
Each year, the Department of Geography awards our top undergraduate geographic information science and technology (GIST) student the Outstanding GIST Student Award. This prize recognizes outstanding academic success as well as the student’s pursuit of excellence through their efforts outside of the classroom in high-impact learning experiences and student leadership. This award is given up to three times per year, for each spring, summer and fall graduation, and is open to current undergraduate GIST majors graduating in that term.
More Outstanding GIST Student Award Information
Klein Family Award
In 2016, Dr. and Mrs. Klein honored the outstanding contributions made by their son, Dr. Andrew Klein, to the Department of Geography by founding the Klein Family Award. The Klein Family Award is bestowed annually to the top continuing student in the Department of Geography. This award is open to current undergraduate geography and GIST majors who will not be graduating at the end of the current term. The winner of the Klein Family Award will receive a scholarship in the amount of $1,000.
More Klein Family Award Information
Graduate Student Research & Teaching Awards
The Department of Geography Graduate Committee offers annual opportunities to recognize graduate student achievement. Each year there is one award for Excellence in Teaching and another for Excellence in Research. Both awards recognize graduate students who are making satisfactory progress toward their degree. The Geography Excellence in Research award is presented to a student who has demonstrated outstanding presentations at national meetings, important publications, significant research results and/or outstanding performance in lab or field experiments. The Geography Excellence in Teaching award is presented to a student who has demonstrated outstanding course evaluations as a teaching assistant (TA) and/or instructor, outstanding written comments from students, outstanding evaluations of TA work by the course instructor, outstanding design of course or lab syllabi, and/or outstanding design of lab or section activities. These awards are open to all Department of Geography graduate students who have been in the program for more than two semesters.
Applications are due annually on May 1.
More Graduate Student Awards Information
Jimmy D. Cain ‘66 & ‘71 Awards
Jimmy Darell “Jim” Cain graduated from Texas A&M in 1966 with a Bachelor of Science degree in meteorology, and in 1971 with a Master of Science in oceanography, where he was also an enthusiastic member of the Singing Cadets. Cain was a world-renowned geodesist and worked on the original EPSG Geodetics Sub-Committee, that became the EPSG authority, with the original members and continued to work on the committee until his death. That committee was/is part of the IOGP, the standards authority for international oil and gas standards, including geomatics and geodesy. Cain was a founding member of the Association for Petroleum Surveying and Geomatics (APSG) professional organization. During his service to the organization, he served in many roles including, at the time of his passing, as the head of the Strategic and Advisory Committee.
In Spring 2019, the Department of Geography partnered with the APSG Education Foundation to honor the memory and legacy of Cain by strengthening the notions of geodetics and data integrity within geospatial education and professional development for the next generation of industry leaders. This partnership integrates the leadership of the the APSG Education Foundation, the expertise and experience of APSG members and organizations, and the College of Geosciences in the classroom, field and workplace through instruction, mentoring and professionalization to ultimately provide more and better prepared career placements within the energy industry. Our collaboration with the APSG Education Foundation in memory of Jimmy D. Cain positions the College of Geosciences at Texas A&M as the leader in preparing industry-ready geospatial graduates and recognizes the APSG Education Foundation as the preeminent nonprofit champions of broadening and deepening knowledge of geodetics in the geospatial profession.
Jimmy D. Cain Travel Awards
Jimmy D. Cain Excellence Awards
More Excellence Award Information
Esri Development Center Student of the Year
In 2013, Texas A&M was designated as an Esri Development Center (EDC). Only a handful of academic institutions worldwide have this distinction. Each year, Texas A&M awards the Esri Development Center Student of the Year to the graduate or undergraduate student who has had the most impact through their development or application of geospatial science, application or technology. This award is open to all current Texas A&M students, graduate and undergraduate, from any major at the university.
Applications are due annually on March 1.